Storage-battery construction.



n. 1. cmxwmeu. STORAGE BATTERY CONSTRUCTION.

APPucATmw mm my. 15. 1912.

hmm w .27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I .y i t.

T naar etnica.

DAVID J'. GARTWRIGHT, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

STORAGE-BATTERY CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, DAVID J. CARTWRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Storage-Battery Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference bein had to the accompanying drawing, formlng a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in storage batteries. Y

One of the objects of my invention is to provide improved Plant plates of such proportions as to lessen the vertical growth in a plate of a given capacity. Another object is to provide an improved common terminal lug for the plates of a given polarity. Additional objects will appear from the more detailed description given hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a storage battery which embodies the features of improvement of my linvention.

Figure 1 is a half elevation and a half sectional view of a pair of battery cells or tanks. Y

Fig.' 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig-1. 1

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the terminal post.

The individual Plant/ plates l are preferably supported above the bottom of the tanks on' suitable blocks of insulation 2. The plates areconsiderably greater in width than in height, as will be apparent in Fig. 1. Ordinarily, Plante plates are of greater height than width, and the ribs run vertically. Plant plates tend to grow in a direction longitudinal of the ribs which is vertically. In the plates of the novel roportions which I have illustrated the rlbs also` run vertically, but the vertical growth is reduced, the capacity of the plate being mamtained, however, as the area of the plate may be the same as the area of a rectangular plate of the old form.

In certain classes of service Plant plates grow so much that-they have to be trimmed about once a year. I have found that with my improved construction, under similar conditions ythe lates do not need to be trimmed more t an once every three years.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2"?, 191'?.

Appli-cation filed January 15, 1912. Serial No. 671,193.

By increasing the width of the plates, and accordingly the width ofthe jars, I increase the horizontal area of the jars and thereby increase the quantity of acid above theplates. As a result the lowering of the acid level, due to evaporation, is slower with my improved construction than in the old construction. Consequently, it is not necessary to flush the jars as often as with previous storage batteries. Furthermore, with an increased area of the bottom of the jars and a decreased height of the plates, the accumulation and deposit of sediment on the bottom is not as rapid per unit of area. In other words, the accumulation does not rise so rapidly as in previous storage batteries of the same' capacity. Plates of the same polarity in a given cell are all provided with a common terminal member 3, which is of improved construction. Each lug is provided with an opening 4 adapted to receive an insulated terminal wire. The outer end of the hole is large enough to receive the insulation, and the inner end thereof is corf tracted to receive the conductor or wire. The wire is held in place by soldering the same through the opening 5 in the top of the lug, or lead burning may be resorted to. I embed a ring of hard rubber 6 in and around the terminal lugs, a red one being arranged around the positive terminal .and a black` one around the negative terminal. This hard rubber ring preferably extends above and below the top of the battery tank or receptacle, as illustrated in Fig. l, and is preferably' embedded by having the terminal post cast around it, so that it is Hush wlth the outer surface of the post, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 4. This ring or bushing effectually prevents creepage of the acid of the battery along the leadterminal post to the outside of the cell.V A soft rubber bushing 14 may be placed between the post and the top of the tank to act as a c ushlon -for the post and to prevent the acld sp1ll1ng through, in the event the post should :fit loosely within the cover.

Another of my improvements relates to the separating block or spacing block on the slde of the battery tanks. Ordinarily, a porcelain separating b lock is used, a screw bemg used to hold the block in place. if a screw yis used which is too long, the lead liningof the jar will be perforated. .Furthermore, the porcelain blocks are easily broken. My improved separating block 7 is made of wood,the inner end of which has a V-shaped slot. This block is inserted in a hole in the side of the wood tanks, the Wedge 8 acting to spread the inner end of said block to lock the same lirmly in position.

A further feature of improvement resides in the cover to the tanks. The lead lining 9 is extended outwardly and upwardly, as shown at 10, and the cover 11 is provided with a depending flange 12 to strengthen it. The cover lis supported by means of this depending flange, which rests on the sh0ulder at the top of the lead lining 9. The cover extends laterally somewhat beyond said flange and nearly meets the upwardly extending flange 1 0, the adjacent faces being preferably beveled. The jar'may then be readily sealed Iby means of a. low grade solder, or other suitable materialv The cover may be removed by first running a knife around the same to cut the seal, the knife blade passing between the beveled surfaces and being received in an annular chamber adjacent thereto.

A further protecting means is indicated at 13 in the form of a housing or case for the battery plates. battery may be arranged upon a common support, as shown in Fig. 1, or, obviously, they may have individual base portions.

I do not limit myself to the exact details of the construction shown and described, as I am aware that various changes may be made within the scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a storage battery, in combination, a casing, a cover therefor, a plate Iinclosed by said casing and having a post extending through said cover, and a hard rubber band secured around said post and between the post and said cover.

2. In a. storage battery, in combination, a casing,a cover therefor, a plate inclosed by said casin and having a post extending through sald cover, and a hard rubber band The two cells of the riphery extending adjacent the upper edgeof said enlarged portion, the adjacent faces coperating to'provide meanswhereby the cover may be sealed with said lining, a post projecting through said cover, and a hard rubber bushing firmly embedded between said post and said cover.

- 4. A storage battery, comprising a'receptacle having a lead lining, said lining having an enlarged portion at its upper end, whereby a shoulder is formed, a cover for closin said receptacle, said cover having a reinforcing' flange resting on said shoulder and having its periphery extending adjacent `the upper edge of said enlarged portion, the adjacent faces'being beveled and fitting close together, whereby the joint lmay be readily sealed.

5. A storage battery, comprising a receptacle having a lead lining,v said lining having an enlarged portion at'itsvupper end, whereby a shoulder is formed, a cover for closing said receptacle,'said cover having a reinforcing flange restingon said shoulder andhaving its periphery extending adjacent to the upper edge-of said enlarged portion, the adjacent faces being beveled- Iand fitting close together, whereby the joint may be readily sealed, and an annular chamber formed between said flangel and the shoulder portion permitting the insertion of a knife in cutting through the seal to remove said cover.

In witness whereof, I havehereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two wit- Witnesses MABEL REYNOLDS,

G. B'. J oNEs. 

